Cryogenic fluids are sometimes used on-board aircraft. For example, some aircraft engines are configured to use natural gas as fuel. The natural gas is stored on-board the aircraft as liquid natural gas (LNG), which is a cryogenic fluid. Cryogenic fluids are stored on-board aircraft within a cryogenic tank that holds a volume of the cryogenic fluid. Various loads may be exerted on the cryogenic tank during operation of the aircraft. For example, cryogenic fluids may be stored at elevated pressure relative to the surroundings, resulting in a pressure load on the tank. Various additional loads may be exerted on a cryogenic tank during flight operations of the aircraft as the aircraft maneuvers (e.g., turns, dives, climbs, accelerates, and/or the like) through an airspace. Moreover, various loads may be exerted on a cryogenic tank during emergency takeoffs and during emergency landings of the aircraft, for example due to the relatively large accelerations and/or decelerations and/or rates of climb and/or descent during such operations. Such loads arising from the different accelerations that objects onboard aircraft can experience during flight operations are sometimes referred to as “inertia loads”.
Many known cryogenic tanks cannot withstand the inertia loads experienced during operation of the aircraft without rupturing and/or becoming dislodged within the aircraft. Cryogenic fluid may leak and/or spill out of a ruptured cryogenic tank, which may cause damage to the aircraft and/or injury to one or more persons on-board the aircraft. Moreover, a cryogenic tank that has become dislodged may cause impact damage to the aircraft and/or impact injury to one or more persons on-board the aircraft. At least some known cryogenic tanks are more structurally robust and therefore may be capable of withstanding the inertia loads experienced during flight operations. But, such cryogenic tanks are too heavy and/or are not volumetrically efficient.